


Contagion

by inqwex



Series: Episode Tags [4]
Category: Station 19 (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 05:51:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18382265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inqwex/pseuds/inqwex
Summary: Just some more post 2x12 fluff. Because there wasn't enough fluff in the episode. And nowhere near enough Travicley although I am very grateful for the scene in the cab of the engine.





	Contagion

**Author's Note:**

> with thanks and apologies to moreorlesme for stealing cheeseburger undies.

Travis took a deep breath, and knocked on the door, gingerly balancing the container of steaming hot pumpkin soup he'd picked up from an amazing deli near his place.

He'd sort of lost track of Vic and Ripley at the scene. He'd watched her climb into the aid car, looking okay. Gibson had later told him that Vic had told him to leave her at the hospital, as she'd given the Chief her keys to drive her car there.

But he hadn't heard from her, despite calling her about ten times and leaving about fifteen texts, and so now he was worried. He wasn't sure whether she'd ended up having  _that_ conversation with Ripley or not, but her car was parked in her spot at her apartment so he figured the Chief had probably at least got her home safe.

He knocked again, and on the third knock, the door opened.

"Fin-al-ly..." his voice drifted off, his brain taking a moment to process the fact that it was Chief Ripley answering the door.

He wasn't exactly dressed.

Well. He wasn't naked, and for that Travis was  _immensely_ relieved.

But still, it was weird to see the Chief with his hair sticking up weirdly on one side, in a crumpled white t-shirt, and a pair of boxers.

A pair of boxers with a truly horrendous - were they  _cheeseburgers_?! - pattern.

"Uh," Travis stammered, realising he'd probably spent way too long staring at his boss' underwear.

"Montgomery," the Chief sounded groggy, and more than a little congested.

Travis' suspicion was confirmed when as the older man moved out of the doorway to let him in, he let out a truly horrendously loud sneeze.

"Bless you?" he said.

"Thanks," Ripley grunted. 

"I just came by to see how Vic was," Travis said quickly. "She hasn't answered my calls, or replied to my texts, and she ... uh... mentioned that you fought and I didn't know if that had...what had happened...and I was worried -"

Ripley raised a hand. "Woah, stop," he said. "Vic's phone died at the scene - she dropped it into a puddle of water. I put it in a bowl of rice but I don't know if that even works and anyway the screen's in a million pieces so she probably just needs a new one."

"Oh," Travis blinked. "Phew. She's okay then?"

"She's asleep right now. She's sick as a -" he whirled around and let out another sneeze. "Dog," he finished, moving into the kitchen and grabbing a tissue.

"You don't sound great either," Travis said, drifting after him.

"Yeah, I've called in sick too," Ripley practically pouted. "This headache is killing me. And the cough. And the constant sneezing. Good idea on wearing the mask."

Travis self-consciously touched his surgical mask. "I felt a bit stupid but ..."

"No. Good idea," Ripley cut him off. "This probably actually is influenza rather than just a cold. Apparently there's a bit going around still."

"I brought soup," Travis said, unnecessarily pointing at the container in his hand. "Pumpkin soup. I wanted to make sure she had enough for a while, so there should be more than enough for you to have some too. If you want."

Ripley eyed him. "Thanks," he said. There was an awkward pause, and Travis felt the urge to apologise.

"Look I'm sorry about ... causing any trouble," Travis said.

Ripley sighed and scrubbed at his beard.

"It's not your fault," he said. "I - it's - I reacted badly and I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. I was just surprised by it and ... I'm not ... I've never ... work's ... this is a huge mistake, professionally, but personally it's ...  _so_ not a mistake. For, um, both of us I think. And navigating ...  _that_ ... is complicated."

"Yeah," Travis said. "Michael and I were complicated at the start and we didn't have any of ... that rank thing."

Ripley sighed again. "Yeah. It's...there's no clear options for us," he said, seemingly more to himself than to Travis. "I'm not supposed to ... anyway."

"You'll work something out," Travis offered optimistically.

"We'll have to," Ripley said, sneezing again. Travis automatically took a little step back.

"Anyway, I'll just go," he said awkwardly. "Say hi to her when she wakes up -"

"She's awake," Vic's voice echoed from the door to her bedroom, and both men looked over to see her with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders looking miserable. She looked at Ripley. "You're not wearing pants, you know that right?"

Ripley looked down. "Oh yeah," he said, staring at his bare legs. "I was too hot."

"Fever," Travis said sagely.

"And you look stupid," Vic said, looking over at Travis.

"Look at yourselves," he exclaimed. "I don't want to end up like you!"

As if on cue, they both sneezed.

"I got you sick," Vic said sadly to Ripley.

"I was already sick," he said, sniffling. "That's how Sullivan worked it out."

There was a moment of deathly silence.

"Sullivan knows?!" Vic squeaked.

"I was sneezing when I delivered the quarterly reports," Ripley said pathetically. "I'm sorry."

"From a  _sneeze_!?" Travis said incredulously.

"He should've been a detective," Vic muttered.

"We were ... well... he was my Travis," Ripley admitted. "He knows me too well."

Vic and Travis exchanged a look of surprise.

"It's a long story, but we had a fight, and we're sort of repairing things now I hope?" Ripley sneezed again. "He didn't yell at me. Surprisingly."

"That's good," Vic said faintly, sitting down abruptly on one of her kitchen stools. "What did he say?"

"He'll protect you, and throw me under the bus," Ripley replied. As Vic made a face and went to say something, he forestalled her. "No that's good. You need to be taken care of. And that our conversation never happened." He paused, and she sneezed. "He definitely implied he thought I was an idiot."

"Oh god," Vic said, dropping her head in her hands briefly before looking up and glaring at Ripley. "So much for hiding."

"I know, I'm sorry," he said, taking a deep breath. "But I was thinking about what you said and when I get back to work I'll have a look and see if there are options."

"There are options?"

"I might have to make them up," Ripley admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "I can't just... _change_ policy like you suggested. Particularly not this kind of policy to suit myself - it's important to protect people. But I can help create policy for an unprecedented situation."

"I should go," Travis said, feeling supremely awkward now. "I tried to call you, Vic but you didn't pick up but I know now your phone died. Anyway, here's pumpkin soup." He started to back away.

"You brought soup?! From that deli?!" Vic's eyes lit up, and she immediately got up and fetched a spoon and a bowl. "You're the best, Travis."

"Montgomery said I could have some too," Ripley... whined. It was the only word for it, Travis thought.

"It's for me," Vic pouted back, giving what Travis was pretty sure was a fake sneeze/sniffle.

"There's heaps there," Travis couldn't help but chuckle. "And I can bring more if you need."

Ripley raised his eyebrows meaningfully, and Vic groaned but passed him the bowl she'd just ladled soup into, pulling a second bowl out for herself.

"Oh, Montgomery, got your phone?" Ripley asked around a mouthful of soup.

"Don't be gross," Vic muttered at him.

"Yeah," Travis said, confused, as he took it out of his pocket.

"My number is -" Ripley rattled it off, and Travis had to ask him to repeat it. "If you can't get on to Vic, call me."

"Oh," Travis said, and he watched as Vic looked at Ripley in what he could only describe as an adoring manner. Before sneezing violently. (Well, if Travis had had any doubts, they were now erased. Clearly they were  _together_ ). "Okay. Thanks."

"Thanks for the soup, it's great," Ripley replied.

"No worries," Travis said. "Get better soon." He waved, and left quickly, as Vic called her thanks after him.

* * *

As the door shut behind Travis, Lucas looked over at Vic.

"I get what you see in him," he said, taking another gulp of soup. "This is amazing."

"Mmmh," Vic said, hitching her blanket higher around her shoulders and moving to the lounge. "Netflix and cuddle?"

"Isn't it Netflix and chill?" Lucas asked in confusion, settling down next to her. He idly thought that his poor heart was being overloaded with warmth and lo- affection as Vic burrowed into his side, her cheek pressed against his chest, using his leg as a table for her soup bowl.

Vic laughed. "Wait, what do you think 'Netflix and chill' means?"

"This minus sneezing?"

"Oh, baby," Vic started to cough in between giggles. "Oh my sweet, naive Lucas. No. If you invite someone for 'Netflix and chill' then you are asking for a different sort of cuddling. The sort that we can't really do right now because neither of us can breathe properly."

"Oh," Lucas felt himself blush.

"Maybe later," Vic said, tilting her head up at him. "When we're better."

"While I have no complaints with Netflix and cuddling," Lucas pressed a kiss to her forehead, rubbing her arm. "I look forward to chilling too. With you."

Vic simply pressed a kiss to his chest and offered him half of her blanket. They picked a terrible movie, and settled in.

Hours later, the soup bowls sat abandoned and practically licked clean on the coffee table. Lucas half-woke to the credits rolling, Vic's hair tickling his nose. He shifted to lie on the couch, pulling her down with him. Vic was such a heavy sleeper that she barely reacted, letting him tuck her between the back of the couch and his body. He wormed a leg between hers, and pulled her arms across his chest. 

 _I love her_ , his heart whispered as he took a deep breath in, trying to inhale her scent despite his blocked nose.

 _I know_ , sighed his brain.


End file.
